At Essence Fest proper, marquee names like New Edition, Maxwell, Keyshia Cole and Beyonce draw out thousands of fans, sure. In the intimate Superlounges, the fest books not only up-and-coming acts from around the world, but a decent representation of locals, as well. Here’s a trio of New Orleanians ready to strut their stuff in the Dome:

Trumpeter Shamarr Allen, who honed his chops in the legendary Rebirth Brass Band, with the late trad-jazz bandleader Bob French and, for a stretch, on the road with Willie Nelson, struck out on his own around 2009. Leading his own band, he conjures up a fierce, tough-to-classify storm of hip-hop, funk and rock.

Kourtney Heart(8 p.m. Sunday, Ford Superlounge)

20-year-old Kourtney Heart takes the stage Sunday for her third consecutive appearance. The young singer’s confectionary mix of pop and contemporary R&B landed her a deal with Jive Records in 2011; since that label’s dissolution, Heart has forged on, self-releasing the mixtape “A Gemini’s Diary” online.

Mia Borders(7:30 p.m. Sunday, Coca-Cola Superlounge)

Guitarist Mia Borders is a singer-songwriter sui generis, playing sultry, often confessional original tunes sometimes cloaked in a thorny coat of high-energy, blues-rock riffage; sometimes, she calls to mind Ani DiFranco, but funkier. The 25-year-old Loyola grad’s latest album, “Quarter Life Crisis,” was released this spring.

The 19th Essence Music Festival kicks off with a family reunion Essence Magazine kicked off its' 19th annual music festival early with the all-new Family Reunion Day event in Woldenberg Park. New Orleanian and hip-hop mogul Percy "Master P" Miller, along with his daughter Cymphonique Miller and son Romeo Miller were on hand to speak at the first empowerment seminars of the weekend at the Convention Center.

Essence Fest’s first outdoor Family Reunion Day on the Fourth of July added a few pleasant elements to the massive, 19-year-old festival. For one, it’s kid-friendly; for another, well, free is always nice. Also, and more to the point, its entertainment lineup - hosted by Mike Swift of the local party-starting crews the Definition DJs and the Core DJs - was packed with Louisiana-based acts, given a new platform to show the thousands of Essence visitors from all over the world what we’ve got. Did you attend? Whether you did, and dug the music, or didn't, but want to know what happened, here's some info on the local bands who performed.

The Brass-A-Holics, pictured on the cover of this month’s Offbeat magazine, recently released their first album, “I Am A Brass-A-Holic.” It wouldn’t be too out of line to say the group’s blend of conga-clattering D.C. go-go and New Orleans brass-funk is, indeed, potentially addictive. Trombonist Winston Turner, formerly of the Soul Rebels Brass Band, leads the group, which adds guitar, keyboards and of course, go-go percussion to the traditional New Orleans brass instrumentation.

The Lafayette-based Cupid is a lot more than his eponymous shuffle (though rest assured – it’s unlikely that he won’t break out the 2007 line-dance smash on the Fourth of July.) In 2012, his zydeco/hip-hop jam “Do It With Your Boots On” was a regional hit that featured nearly every young gun in the zydeco game, from Opelousas to Houston. More recently, the former gospel choirboy has been working on a fitness DVD, “Cu-Robiks,” and in early 2013, released the new album “Positopia.”

TheStooges Brass Band, purveyors of high-octane, hip-hop-laced brass for nearly a decade, have been mixing it up of late: the group, winners of the Red Bull Street Kings’ brass band competition in 2010, now plays both as a traditional brass band and with a more traditionally rock n’roll setup. Either way, they remain an exemplar of New Orleans’ street-level sound, with the capacity to tear the roof off even an outdoor show.

Mobile, Ala. – born, New Orleans-based jazz vocalist Gina Brown sings the standards, blended in with classic pop vocals, Motown and sultry soul blues. A frequent performer with jazz violinist Michael Ward, she’s seen most often around town with her band Anutha Level.

The rising local ensemble Water Seed – based between New Orleans and Atlanta - plays a hip blend of jazz, R&B and futuristic funk infused with the street-parade stomp of New Orleans brass, wild juke-joint blues and gospel shouting: it’s the kind of soulful hybridity that’s rocketed one of the group’s major influences, Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue, to the top.